Match pack: Brighton (A)

Get all the news and views ahead of Nottingham Forest's Sky Bet Championship trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Brighton and Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest

Sky Bet Championship

Saturday 7 February (kick-off 3pm)

Amex Stadium

Pre-match brief

The Amex Stadium is the venue for Dougie Freedman's first game in charge of Nottingham Forest as he takes his charges to the south coast to face a Brighton and Hove Albion side battling to pull clear of the bottom three.

Freedman spoke in his first press conference of the immediate importance of winning games of football and The Reds will need to take all three points on Saturday if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap.

Brighton manager Chris Hughton, just five weeks into the job himself, has managed to steer the Seagulls out of the relegation zone with an improved run of results but defeat to Blackpool last weekend has increased the pressure.

Team news

Nottingham Forest manager Dougie Freedman should have Matty Fryatt available for selection against Brighton after the striker completed the final half-hour of the defeat to Millwall on his return from injury.

Freedman will need to check on the fitness of defender Michael Mancienne and striker Dexter Blackstock who continue to try and shake off minor knocks but Andy Reid and Chris Cohen remain sidelined.

Brighton boss Chris Hughton may choose to make changes to the side beaten 1-0 at lowly Blackpool on Saturday with attacking duo Craig Mackail-Smith and Leon Best both pushing for starts at the Amex Stadium.

Hughton is also hopeful that Kazenga LuaLua will return to action this weekend having been sidelined since November while new signing Beram Kayal could make his debut for the Seagulls after receiving international clearance.

View from the Red corner

Dougie Freedman: “I’ve watched Brighton live a few times of late. I know the manager very well and what they try to put in place tactically.

“It’s a place we’ve got to go to and be positive. There’s no use us sitting back there. They’ve got a strong squad, a big fanbase and a loud stadium. We’ve got to make sure we go there with a positive attitude.

“With the talent we have, there’s no reason we can’t get a result.”

Click here to read more of the new manager's thoughts ahead of his first game in charge of Nottingham Forest.

The victory at the iPro Stadium is Forest's only success in their last 11 matches in all competitions and although The Reds currently lie 12th in the Sky Bet Championship, they are level on points with 17th-placed Huddersfield Town.

Brighton have enjoyed mixed fortunes over recent weeks with impressive wins over Charlton (1-0) and Ipswich (3-2) being levelled out by defeats at home to Brentford (0-1) and away to bottom side Blackpool (0-1).

Chris Hughton's men have managed to edge their way out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone but a run of just one home win since November has left the Seagulls still looking nervously over their shoulders.

Haven't we met before?

The two sides shared a goalless draw in the reverse fixture at The City Ground back in September as Michael Mancienne and Craig Mackail-Smith enjoyed the best opportunities in a game of few chances on Trentside.

Last season's corresponding fixture at the Amex Stadium saw Forest recover from falling behind to an early Andrew Crofts goal to win 3-1 on the south coast thanks to a brace from Henri Lansbury and a strike from Darius Henderson.

Brighton got revenge for that defeat when they came to Trentside on the final day of the 2013-14 campaign as goals from Stephen Ward and Leonardo Ulloa gave them a 2-1 win after Matt Derbyshire had opened the scoring.

Are tickets available?

Tickets for Nottingham Forest's Sky Bet Championship trip to Brighton are still available.

For more details and for a list of prices, please click here.

Tickets will remain on sale at the Forest ticket office in-person, online and via the booking line until 2pm today (Friday).

How do I get there?

At the end of the M23, continue onto the A23, heading towards Brighton. At the roundabout which is the junction with the A27, take the A27 towards Lewes.

After around four miles the stadium will be visible on the right-hand side. Leave at the A27 and take the slip road sign posted Falmer (B2123). At the top of the slip road turn right crossing back over the A27 and the entrance to the stadium is down on the right.

Forest supporters are also advised that there is no public parking close to the Amex Stadium, however limited near site parking is available at the Bridge Car Park (postcode BN1 9PW) and costs £15 on the day.

Reds fans who already have tickets are reminded that tickets include travel by bus or train within the matchday travel zone, or access to one of three park-and-ride sites in the city. Further information can be found here.

What if I can't make the game?

Live audio commentary will be available on Forest Player, as well as live text commentary on www.nottinghamforest.co.uk and via @Official_NFFC on Twitter.

Forest Player will also have extended match highlights from 12pm on Sunday, as well as all the reaction from the Forest camp.

What are the odds?

Nottingham Forest are the 23/10 outsiders to give Dougie Freedman a winning start in charge of The Reds with the draw being offered at the same price and a win for Brighton as the favourite at 6/5.

A repeat of The Reds' 3-1 win on the same ground last season is priced at 28/1 while for supporters who fancy Forest to edge Saturday's contest by a goal to nil, that scoreline has odds of 15/2.

Michail Antonio will be looking to get back to goalscoring ways at the Amex Stadium and the Forest winger is priced at 9/1 to be the game's first goalscorer or at 3/1 to score at any time.

For all the latest odds on Saturday's game, please visit www.skybet.com/forest and make a prediction for Brighton v Forest.